Will the subzero temperatures we experience in early winter be a factor in deer tick control? As the leading tick exterminator serving Tolland County CT, On Target Tick Control dislikes ticks as much as you do. Ticks survive the winter in a variety of ways, but do not go away just because it is cold. Depending on the species and stage in their life cycle, ticks survive the winter months by going dormant or latching onto a host. Snow insulates dormant ticks, which are protected by the layer of debris. Or, in the case of soft-shell ticks, they survive by staying underground in burrows or dens.
In eastern Connecticut we have an abundance of black-legged deer ticks. Tick infestations in southern New England have become increasingly more prevalent in the recent years. Changes in land use, increased local deer population, an abundant rodent population, and some ecological factors have contributed to a surge in the number of deer ticks lurking in our eastern Connecticut woods.
Did you know that seventy percent of ticks can be found nine feet from where the woods meet your yard? Ticks prefer to lie in shady areas of the lawn because they dry up in the sun. Ticks thrive in a humid environment, and live at the edges of woods, in the leaf litter around your yard, around stone walls, in lawns and gardens, and in brushy areas preferred by their hosts. If you interrupt their route into your back yard, you may lessen their numbers.
Ticks in Connecticut spread Lyme Disease, Babesiosis, Human granulocytic anaplasmosis/ehrlichiosis, and the rare but deadly Powassan virus. Lyme is a bacterial illness, but Powassan is a flavivirus, a genus of virus that also causes West Nile virus and Dengue fever. The worst news is that there is currently no cure for Powassan. Because Powassan is rare, the symptoms may be hard to identify this disease.
To quote Jorge Parada, MD, medical advisor for the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) from Loyola University, “To prevent contracting Powassan, make sure to be on your guard against ticks.” Parada advises: “What’s better than a cure is don’t catch it. So even when the weather’s good and you want to go out and hike in shorts, the truth is, long pants and tucking your pants into your socks will protect you from tick bites.”
As a Tick Control company, our mission is protecting family and pets from ticks and tick-borne illnesses. When you are concerned about ticks and the diseases they may carry, call On Target Tick Control. 203-746-6638.
